The Goliath frog, whose name reaches 3.3 kilograms and has a body length of about 34 centimeters (excluding legs), is the largest species of frog on Earth. Unfortunately, the giant cat-sized toad takes a place on the endangered species list. So a local conservationist set up a special project to fight for the frog’s future.
“It’s like holding a (human) baby,” the BBC writes. Cedric Vaughan, a Cameroonian environmental activist, was so fascinated by the giant toad that he created a special project to fight for its future. In Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, the goliath frog has been overfished for years for food but also for the pet trade. In addition, the frog also has to deal with the disappearance of its habitat, as well as rivers and streams, which are rapidly being destroyed. So the animal is now on the official Red List of Endangered Species. According to the WWF, about 41% of amphibians are endangered.
The goliath frog is not well known in science and even locally in Cameroon not many people are aware of its importance to the ecosystem, so it preys on insects that damage crops.
Snail farming as an alternative
The conservation team is trying to convince the fishermen to become citizen scientists, and instead of catching a frog to eat it, they will then record sightings of that animal. To achieve an alternative food source, conservationists are also working with local groups to establish snail farming.
Restoration work is already beginning to bear fruit with the return of the goliath frog to new rivers in the Nlunku Mountain Reserve. A call from a former fisherman who reported that a neighbor had caught a frog was also a hack. Cedric was able to save the frog and return it to the wild. “I think we can keep it forever and be proud of it,” Phagwan told the BBC.
The goliath frog rescue project is supported by the Conservation Leadership Program (CLP) of Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
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